CEO’s former assistant in a south Mumbai firm dupes company of Rs5 lakh for online shopping

The police said she had earlier worked with one more organisation and they are checking if she had committed similar offences there too.

A 22-year-old woman, who worked as a personal assistant to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a pharmaceutical company in Tardeo, was arrested for allegedly cheating the firm of around Rs5 lakh by using its account to shop at various online portals.

The police said the Silvia Gomes, the accused, had used the company's e-wallet on different shopping portals. A resident of Andheri, Gomes was hired for the job in April.  An officer from Tardeo police station said, “Since the CEO was authorised to spend on behalf of the company, his PA knew all the account details. She used it to shop for herself.” 

The police said Gomes was very irregular in coming to work and when she didn’t come to office for three weeks, the CEO appointed a new PA. He also asked her to check the account details of the company. “The new PA found many lapses in the company’s account. The records showed a television set had been bought through company’s account. So after she inquired with her colleagues, they suspected Gomes to be behind this,” said an officer. 

After her role was identified, one of the directors of the company reported the matter to Tardeo police station on Wednesday and registered a case against Gomes. Following a tip-off that Gomes was going to come near company’s Tardeo office, a police team laid a trap and nabbed her from the spot. 

The police said she had earlier worked with one more organisation and they are checking if she had committed similar offences there too. They added that the accused used to hide the account statements. 

Gomes has been booked under section 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant) of the Indian Penal Code and was remanded in police custody.